A Letter from Your Pet by Ann Hoff

A Letter from Your Pet 

I am thankful for all the love, care, joy, and fun you brought into my life. I know that you are grieving, and I wish so much that I could be there to comfort you in my physical body. However, I can’t be because I have dropped my body. I know this is a natural thing to do, because I have seen both pets and humans do it when I was on earth. I am so happy that I have made it to this place called heaven, because I am out of pain, joyful and feel young again.

There are people up here that you know that are taking care of me. They say that they are family too and related to you. They love me as much as you do. Everything here is about love. There is no pain, no suffering, only joy. I want you to know that so you can quit crying and be happy for me. 

You did everything right when you helped me transition to this place you call heaven. Don’t feel guilty that you didn’t notice I was sick fast enough, or that you had to decide to let me go. Every moment I knew that you loved me, and that you were making the best decision for me with my welfare foremost in your mind.

Remember the great times we’ve had together. The fun times like the walks, playing with toys, enjoying the sunlight together, the normal times just sitting together quietly on the couch. I cherish all of them. I know that some cats and dogs don’t get to be loved by a human during their lives like you loved me. So, I am very grateful that you love me like you do. Try to see our love as the joyful emotion it is, and not as something to cry about. I was alone before I met you and was so happy when you took me home and made me your own.

People here in heaven tell me that when they leave their bodies, they leave a will behind, something to say where all their physical possessions go. I know I have left my meager possessions with you. If I could have left a will, I would have said in it that I left those things for you to find a new pet to use them. In the shelter, the pets there have nothing of their own, not even a human parent. There are pets there today that could use my bowls and toys. 

But even more importantly, there are pets in the shelter who need a human parent. They are without anyone to share their lives with, and many die unloved, the human that they wait for never showing up. I hope you understand that pets, like people, just want to be loved and love before they die. To enjoy those lazy normal afternoons on the couch together.

I don’t want to see you live without a pet. I know what a great human parent you are, and I want to pass that on to another shelter animal. It will be the best way to heal your heart, to love another. I will always love you. I won’t feel threatened if you replace me. In fact, I will be joyful. I will know that all those things you learned from me about loving a pet will allow you to love your next pet even more. Your heart will grow even bigger loving someone new.

Some of the pets up here tell me their human parents were so heartbroken after they passed, they decided to never have another animal. That the loss was just too hard. They don’t want to go through another pet dying.  I don’t want you to be that way. The love you give and receive from a pet is bigger than any grief from losing us. To stop loving is to stop living. As long as you are alive, there will always be more animals to love and care for. They will love you back.

“When somebody loves you, it straightens out your soul.”

                                                ~ Langston Hughes

Please, love another pet. It will be the best for both of you. I will be watching and helping you both from heaven.

I will always love you, that is a given.

Ann Hoff has a double undergraduate degree in Animal Science and Studio Art from University of Wisconsin – Platteville, and a Masters of Animal Science from the University of Arizona. Before becoming a medium she was a pharmaceutical rep specializing in launching new medical compounds. Ann has a third-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and ran a dojo with a partner for 14 years. She owns and shows paint horses, has two-reserve world championship, numerous state championships and top ten world placings. Ann enjoys movies, is a serious reader, and loves to dance. She currently has 2 cats, 2 dogs and three horses, all of which live with her.